[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 635 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 635

     Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2023

 Mr. Green of Texas (for himself, Ms. Omar, Ms. Tlaib, and Mr. Carson) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world.

Whereas this resolution may be cited as the ``Original Resolution Recognizing 
        Islam as One of the Great Religions of the World'';
Whereas the word ``Islam'' means ``submission to the will of God'' and 
        ``peace'';
Whereas the primary scripture of Islam is the Holy Quran, which has over 6,000 
        verses, or 114 chapters;
Whereas Muslims consider the Holy Quran to be the book of divine guidance;
Whereas Muslims frame their way of life around the Hadith, a collection of 
        traditions and quotes of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him);
Whereas, although its roots go back further, the religion began to spread 
        rapidly in A.D. 622 when the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) 
        began his travels from Mecca to Medina, the first day of which began the 
        Islamic calendar;
Whereas the Quran states that ``the ink of the scholar is more holy than the 
        blood of the martyr'', leading to a focus on science, astronomy, 
        chemistry, mathematics, medicine, and philosophy throughout Islamic 
        culture;
Whereas Islam is the second largest and fastest growing religion of the world;
Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Muslims 
        worldwide;
Whereas there are approximately 3,500,000 Muslims in the United States, ranging 
        from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds;
Whereas American Muslims make significant contributions to the Nation's economy, 
        diversity, philanthropic efforts, medical and scientific research, civic 
        engagement, and more;
Whereas the first substantial population of Muslims in the United States were 
        enslaved Africans, many of whom were forced to abandon their faith by 
        slave owners; and
Whereas Islam is a monotheistic religion, and Allah (meaning God in Arabic) is 
        the central deity;
Whereas Islam teaches that Allah has 99 names, with each one representing His 
        characteristics, such as The Merciful or The Provider;
Whereas Islam is a complete system of strong moral convictions that promotes 
        peace, equality, and social justice;
Whereas Islam charges that governments should always be focused on equity, 
        justice, and compassion;
Whereas Islam teaches and upholds the equality of all people, regardless of race 
        or social status, abolishing systems that are against it, including the 
        caste system;
Whereas the Quran speaks about tolerance between Muslims and non-Muslims;
Whereas the fundamental Muslim practices are known as the Five Pillars of Islam;
Whereas the five pillars are shahadah (declaration of faith), salat (prayer 5 
        times daily), zakat (give 2.5 percent of all earnings to charity), sawm 
        (fasting in the month of Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi 
        Arabia);
Whereas the 5 daily prayers are designed to remove any barriers between 
        believers praying in congregations and help one refrain from committing 
        sins;
Whereas the obligatory charity is designed to purify a person from selfishness 
        and encourages empathy to the poor;
Whereas fasting in Ramadan promotes self-restraint and spiritual renewal for 
        Muslims worldwide;
Whereas the pilgrimage to Mecca serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing 
        followers of diverse backgrounds together in religious celebration;
Whereas Islam explicitly teaches that there is no compulsion in religion, and 
        one is free to practice or reject any religion;
Whereas Muslims consider Islam to be a way of life;
Whereas the major holidays that Muslims observe are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, 
        which are celebrated at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and on 
        the 10th day of the final month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar, 
        respectively;
Whereas Muslims follow the Islamic Lunar calendar, also known as the Hijri 
        calendar, wherein a new month is said to begin each time a new moon is 
        sighted; and
Whereas carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim's 
        life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a 
        single cloth of religious devotion: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, To demonstrate solidarity with and support for members of 
the community of Islam in the United States and throughout the world, 
the House of Representatives recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the 
great religions of the world.
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